Special to the HT MEEKER | The White River is undergoing historic drought and one its earliest calls on the river. Come join the White River Alliance next Wednesday April 15 at 5:30 to hear from Division 6 Water Engineer Erin Light and Rio Blanco County water commissioner Betty Kracht.[Read More…]
Tag: State of the River
Neighbors working together for river preservation: 2025 progress report from the White River Alliance
MEEKER | White River Alliance members gathered for their holiday party and an end of the year report by president Shawn Welder this past Wednesday, Dec. 10. His 2025 progress report highlights a year marked by the group’s community engagement, hands-on stewardship, and strengthened educational outreach. A major focus of[Read More…]
Climate trends show warmer winters, earlier runoff and declining late-summer flows on the White River
RBC | A new analysis of 38 years of SNOTEL data and more than a century of USGS streamflow records compiled by local science educator Dr. Bob Dorsett shows clear signs that the headwaters of the White River are warming, drying, and running off earlier each spring—conditions that have profound[Read More…]
State of the River meetings return; local events to highlight various issues
RBC I After two years of virtual and hybrid gatherings, the Colorado River District will once again host in-person State of the River events across the West Slope throughout spring 2022. Twelve events across the 15-county River District will bring District staff, local partners, hydrologists, and water users together to[Read More…]
State of the River Part 4: Elk Creek Ranch develops best management practices for river health
RBC | “We care greatly about the river, and the entire valley. We feel like we’re good stewards of it,” said Brett Harvey, manager of Elk Creek Ranch (ECR) last week when discussing the health of the White River, and the persistent algae blooms of the last seven years. Having[Read More…]
State of the River: Part 3
Algae bloom effects cause frustration, uncertainty RBC I This week, the HT conducted interviews with Alden VandenBrink, manager of the Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District; Bob Tobin, a former USGS hydrologist and water quality expert; Dr. Bob Dorsett, White River Alliance member; and Callie Hendrickson, White River Conservancy District Executive[Read More…]
State of the river: Part 2
Stakeholders have varying opinions about algae bloom’s origin MEEKER | “It’s supposed to be a nice, wild experience, this is like Coney Island out here,” said Bob Regulski, expressing years worth of frustration over what he considers to be unnatural and detrimental changes to the White River, just upstream from[Read More…]
State of the River: Part 1
RBC I Seven years since the first major algae bloom affected the White River, much is still unknown about what exactly causes the blooms, and by extension, how they can be remediated/mitigated in the future. The earliest report of significant algae blooms in the river, noted in the HT was[Read More…]
Water district hosts ‘State of the River’ meeting in Rangely
RANGELY | The Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District (RBWCD) held a community networking meeting May 28 on the “State of the River.” Did you know that an estimated 916,000 Colorado recreational anglers account for $8.2 million in state economic impact? These statistics and more were presented by the Rangely 4-H Sportfishing program. Six[Read More…]
